Quick-opening valve



(N0 Model.)

E. H. LUNKEN.

QUICK OPENING VALVE.

No. 594,633. Patented Nov. so, 1897. Y

III

NITED STATES PATENT muon.

QUICK-OPENING VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 594,633, dated November 30, 1897.

Application filed December 14, 1896. Serial No. 615,716. (No model.)

To all whom, it muy concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND I-I. LUNKEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe, in the State of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Quick-Opening Valve, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

My invention has for itsobject the production of a quick-opening steam-valve of-superior construction which is not only capable of being opened quickly, butof also being opened gradually or in such manner as to first permit thepassage of a small amount of steam and gradually increase the quantity to the maximum amount; Its novelty consists in certain constructions, combinations, and arrangements of parts, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the complete valve; Fig. 2, a vertical section thereof longitudinally of the pipe connections; Fig. 3, a view corresponding to Fig. 2.with the valve-stem and valve removed, showing merely the casing of the valve; and Fig. 4, an elevation of the valve-stem and parts carried by it.

The same letters of reference are employed to represent corresponding parts in all the views.

The casing of my new valve consists of a body A andbonnet B. The body A is similar to that of the ordinary globe-valve, consisting of the globular middle portion containing the diaphragm O, the opposite pipe connections D D, and the short exteriorly-threaded neck E, surrounding the circular bonnetopening in its upper side. This bonnet-opening is quite large relatively to the size of the valve as a whole, corresponding in that respect with the interior of thebonnet B, which is screwed at its lower endl upon the neck E of the body A. Fitting within this opening in the body A is a cylindrical casing F, which is screwed at its lower end into a circular opening formed in the diaphragm O. .This cylinder F is provided below its middle with an internal annular shoulder G, which forms the seat for the valve, and above this seat said cylinder is provided around its circumference with a series of ports I-Ifof a combined capaci ity equaling the desired capacity of the valve when fully opened. These ports H are preferably tapered to or toward a point at their lower ends for a purpose hereinafter explained.

The bonnet B is provided upon its interior with a plurality of threads I of extremely coarse pitch, in the instance shown in the drawings having four threads of a pitch approximating one turn to the inch. The valvestem J has secured to or formed integral with it a collar K, provided with corresponding threads to cooperate with those in the bonnet B, and at its lower end carries the cylindrical valve-disk or valve proper, L. This valve L closely fits the interior of the cylinder F and when the valve-stem is forced downward fits against the 'seat G in the cylinder F and closes the passage through the valve-body. The valve-stem has a handle M secured upon its upper end, by which it may be turned to open and close the valve, and the bonnet B has lscrewed upon the exteriorly-threaded neck at its upper end the usual cap-nut N, which confines a packing-rin g O,surrounding the valvestem. Y

Owing to the large size of the bonnet B and threaded collar K relatively to the size of the lvalve as a whole, and owing to the extremely coarse pitch of the threads within the bonnet and upon said collar,the valve-stem and valve may be very quickly raised and lowered by turning the valve-stem. VUnder the propor tions shown inthe drawings the valve-stem and valve may be moved to their limit of movement in either direction toA open or to close the valve'by approximately one-third of one turn of the valve-stem. By slowly turning the stem in opening the valve the ports H maybe very gradually opened, iirst permitting the passage of but a small quantity of steam through their tapered lower ends and gradually increasing the quantity until the minimum is reached. This is an exceedingly desirable result in steam-valves for many purposes and one which has not been heretofore attained in quick-opening'valves to such an extent as in my present' valve.

So far as concerns the operation of my vnew valve which has been described above, the valve L may be cbupled to ors'wiveled upon IOO the valve-stem J in any desired manner and many of the advantages of my novel valve be attained, but for the purpose of facilitating the opening of the valve and rendering that operation easier, especially in valves of larger size, I further provide an auxiliary passage or by-pass through the main valve, which auxiliary passage is controlled by an auxiliary valve which is automatically opened at the first opening movement of the valve-stem, before the lnain valve is moved from its seat, for the purpose of permitting the passage of a small quantity of steam through the valve to thereby partially balance the main valve and relieve to that extent the pressure which is holding it against its seat. To that end the valve L in the present instance is coupled to the stem J by means of a flange or collar P, formed upon or secured to the lower end of the valve-stem J, and a lock-nut Q, which surrounds the valve-stem above said flange and is screwed into the interiorly-threaded opening or bore in the valve L, these cooperating threads being preferably left-hand ones, to render the nut Q less liable to become unserewed when the valve-stem is turned to open the valve. The bottom of the valve L is provided with a central port R, having a flaring upper end adapted to coperate as a valveseat with the correspondingly-shaped lower end of the valve-stem J, the latter acting as a valve andthe two together constituting an auxiliary valve controlling the port or passage R through the main valve. The valvestem J is permitted slightlongitudinal movement independently of the valve L, so that when it is turned in one direction and forced downward to press the valve L against its seat G the port R will be closed by it, and when it is turned in the opposite direction the port R will be opened before the flange P engages the nut Q and begins to lift the main valve. The valve-stem J is provided with a groove or passage S, extending from a point above the top of the lock-nut Q to and through the lower end of the stem or its flange P, which passage permits communication between the space within the valve L beneath the valve-stem and the space at the upper side of the valve and within the bonnet B. Steam is permitted access from the inlet side of the valve to the space above the valve L and to the interior of the bonnet B either by permitting a sufficient leak for that purpose around the upper end of the cylinder F, between the latter and the interior of the neck E of the valve-body, or by providing special passages between those parts for that purpose. Then the valve is in closed position, the space above the valve is thus filled with steam, which also passes through the passage S in the valve-stem and fills the space beneath the latter within the valve L. At the first opening movement of the valve-stem the port R will be uncovered, as before explained, before the valve L is lifted from its seat, so that the steam above the valve may pass through the channel S in the valve-stem and through the port R to the under side of the valve L, thereby relieving the steam-pressure upon the upper side of the valve and permitting the latter to be readily lifted from its seat by the further turning of the valve-stem. The valve L is provided with circumferential grooves to reduce the friction and better guide it within the cylinder F.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that I have produced a quickopening steam-valve of simple construction in which the passage of steam at the opening of the valve may be graduated as desired and in which the main valve may be lifted from its seat and the valve opened, even in the larger sizes, with comparatively little effort. It will be further seen that the valve-seat G may be readily regronnd when necessary or the cylinder F renewed as a whole, as may also be the valve L.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claiml. In a valve, the combinatiomwith the casing composed of a body portion A and a bonnet portion B, the former provided with the diaphragm C, of the cylinder F secured at its lower end in the diaphragm C and extending at its upper end into the bonnet-opening of the easing, and provided with the seat G and ports II, the valve stem J provided with threads eoperatin g with threads in the bonnet B, the cylindrical valve L carried by the stem J and fitting within the cylinder F and cooperating with the seat G and ports Il thereof, said valve and valve-stem being capable of slight longitudinal movement independ- 'ently of each other and said valve-stem operating by such independent movement to control an auxiliary passage through the valve to open and close communication between its upper and lower sides independently of the opening and closing of the main valve, for the purpose described.

2. In a valve,the combination,with the body A and the bonnet B, the former provided with the diaphragm 0,01? the cylinder F fitting within the bonnet-opening of the body A and secured at its lower end in the diaphragm C, and provided with the scat G and ports Il, the valve-stem J provided with threads coperating with threads in the bonnet B, the cylindrical valve L carried by the stem J and fitting within the cylinder F and cooperating with the seat G and ports Il thereof, said valve and valve-stem being capable of slight longitudinal movement independently of each other and the valve being provided with a port R controlled by the lower end of the valvestem, and a passage furnishing communication between the upper side of the valve L and the space within the same below the valvestem, for the purpose described.

In a valve,the combination,with the body A and the bonnet B, the former provided with the diaphragm C, and the latter having an internal diameter approximating that of the IOO IIO

bonnet-opening in the valve and providedy central port-R through its bottom, the lock- With a plurality of internal threads I of coarse nut Q, surrounding the valve-stem J above its piteh, as described, of the valve-stem J provided with the collar K having threads eooperating with the threads in the bonnet B, and having its lower end suitably shaped to act as a valve and also provided With a flange or Collar P, the cylindrical valve L itting Within the cylinder F and Cooperating with the seat G and ports H thereof, and having the interiorly-threaded opening or bore, and the oollar'P and screwed into the valve L, and a passage S furnishing communication between the spaoe above the valve and the space Within the valve below the stem J, for the purpose specified.

EDMUND H. LUNKEN. Vitnesses:

EDGAR B. CRONKHITE, E. R. BALL. 

